What is the first stage of a newborn's skin-to-skin experience post-delivery?

The first stage of a newborn's skin-to-skin experience post-delivery is the birth cry. This initial stage is significant as it marks the newborn's first interaction with the external world, signaling that the baby is alive and begins the transition from the womb to the outside environment. During this time, the baby's cry serves as a reflex that stimulates the respiratory system, promoting the first breaths.

Following this stage, the newborn typically moves through additional stages, such as relaxing and then crawling towards the mother's breast to latch on for breastfeeding, but the birth cry is fundamentally the starting point of the skin-to-skin process. Therefore, recognizing the birth cry as a vital first stage underscores the importance of immediate maternal-infant bonding that occurs right after delivery, a key component emphasized by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.